Cost of living - the impact on Hertfordshire residents - interim report (December 2022 - January 2023)
Download (PDF 445.47 KB)Summary of report content
Healthwatch Hertfordshire undertook research on the impact of the cost of living on local people’s lives in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council. In the period 1 December 2022 to 1 January 2023, 4,413 residents of Hertfordshire responded to their survey.
Seven in ten respondents said that the rising cost of living was affecting them a little and 23% said that it was affecting them a lot.
Nearly two in five had insufficient or just enough income to cover their basic necessities. Most had made changes in their life to manage the increase in costs, including using less energy to heat their homes, going out less or reducing the amount or quality of food that they were eating.
Three in ten said that the rising cost of living was affecting their physical health and over half said it had impacted their mental health. Over three in ten had reduced or stopped going to the dentist, over one in five had avoided or stopped going to the opticians and 17% had spent less on medications and prescriptions or hadn’t purchased equipment to help them with their health or mobility.
There was good awareness of services that could help with the rising cost of living, but there was a big gap between awareness and actual use of services.
The report concludes with a spotlight on how different groups are affected, including lone parents, people with a disability, families, carers and Asian/Asian British people.
The survey results have been shared with local councils and groups that provide services to people affected by the cost of living.